Football
Stephen Uersfeld 8y

Lars and Sven Bender selected in Germany's Olympics squad

Lars and Sven Bender have been selected as two of Germany's three overage players in the nation's 18-man squad for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Coach Horst Hrubesch has called up the twins, World Cup winner Matthias Ginter, Schalke's Max Meyer and Leverkusen's Julian Brandt.

The DFB faced a selection dilemma with Hertha Berlin players Niklas Stark and Mitchell Weiser as well as Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Mo Dahoud unavailable because of their involvement in qualifiers for the Europa League and Champions League.

Players switching clubs this summer like Leverkusen forward Kevin Volland and Wolfsburg midfielder Yannick Gerhardt were also excused from Olympics duty, as were players who represented Germany at Euro 2016 in France, including Emre Can and Joshua Kimmich.

Borussia Dortmund's 2014 World Cup winner Ginter is joined by his teammate Sven Bender, who could form Germany's holding midfield alongside his twin brother, Bayer Leverkusen's Lars Bender.

Leverkusen forward Julian Brandt, a member of Germany's provisional Euro squad, has also been selected by Hrubesch, who will vacate his seat after the Olympic tournament.

"This will be a unique experience my players will tell their grandchildren about. I am convinced that a lot is possible for the lads," Hrubesch told the official DFB website.

Freiburg attacker Nils Petersen is the third player born before Jan. 1, 1993, to make the trip to Brazil, while RB Leipzig's Davie Selke taking the second attacker slot.

Arsenal's Serge Gnabry is the only player in the squad currently not plying his trade in Germany.

Germany, who last played at the Olympics in Seoul 1988, are set to take on Mexico, South Korea and Fiji during the group stage.

The full squad:

Goalkeepers: Timo Horn (Cologen), Jannik Huth (Mainz)

Defenders: Niklas Sule (Hoffenheim), Jeremy Toljan (Hoffenheim), Robert Bauer (Ingolstadt), Matthias Ginter (Borussia Dortmund), Lukas Klostermann (RB Leipzig), Philipp Max (Augsburg)

Midfielders: Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen), Lars Bender (Bayer Leverkusen), Sven Bender (Borussia Dortmund), Max Christiansen (Ingolstadt), Serge Gnabry (Arsenal), Max Meyer (Schalke), Leon Goretzka (Schalke)

Forwards: Nils Petersen (Freiburg), Davie Selke (RB Leipzig), Grischa Promel (Karlsruher)

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